


The King and his heir

by wefewwehappyfew



Series: Alternate Wars of the Roses [1]
Category: 15th Century CE RPF
Genre: Gen, Historical AUs FTW, I somehow managed to make this sad though, Lancastrian appreciation time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-31
Updated: 2017-05-31
Packaged: 2018-11-07 10:12:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11056812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wefewwehappyfew/pseuds/wefewwehappyfew
Summary: (AU where Edward of Lancaster survives Tewkesbury) The night before Bosworth, Edward of Lancaster ponders on the future of England and the Lancastrian dinasty





	The King and his heir

They say that the King only listens to his cousin Richmond nowadays.

Then again they do not understand the bond that has formed between these two men who have lost so much at the hands of the Yorks. 

They have both known war, and exile, and even if Henry has had it somewhat easier compared to his cousin, Edward took him under his wing the very moment they met.

And after that, he became the King’s main support, specially after the deaths of his wife, Queen Anne, and their son, Prince Henry.

_Ego sum pulvis._ The King had said more than once in those days, his countenance masking all his suffering. _I am nothing but dust._

Edward would have to remarry, everybody insisted. He needed allies, and a new heir to continue the Lancastrian bloodline.

Little did they understand that he could not risk to do what his Yorkist namesake did, or what his grandfather did. Father an heir and their leave this world (even if he was not that old, a life like his had its toll and he was already starting to suffer it) and leave England with yet another child king.

Of that his poor kingdom had had more than enough.

No. He had decided on an heir of his own already. A man that shared his Lancastrian blood and who would be more than prepared to take the mantle come the time.

And who would marry the Princess Elizabeth of York. She had been first offered to Edward himself, but even if it took quite a bit of convincing both parts, he, along with the Lady Margaret Beaufort managed to make sure that the ones that would marry would be Elizabeth and Henry.

_They will bring peace to England. And God willing, they might even be happy together._

Edward himself wonders if Anne was happy with him. She seemed so, once the initial shock wore off and he proved that the stories she had heard about him were just that, stories. _  
_

_But he wishes he had been able to give her a different life. A life more befitting of a Princess of Wales and a Queen of England. But alas, he could only give war, exile,and dust._

But maybe, maybe all this suffering would pay in the end.

Tomorrow they would face the forces of the Yorkist Usurper, and the destiny of England would be decided.

And Edward looks at his cousin, still looking over the maps and the strategies, and pats him on the shoulder.

“Go to sleep, my good Richmond.” Edward says. 

“We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow.”

**Author's Note:**

> \- Yes, a “Edward of Lancaster survives AU” because denial ain’t just a river in Egypt for me.
> 
> \- Also I still managed to make it sad because my poor boy lost his wife and his son (Think that Anne and Henry (aka alt!timeline!Edward of Middleham) would die more or less at the same time than their historical counterparts.
> 
> \- And yes more of these will happen. With Edward as the official King and of his time with Anne. Because I am a sadomasochist and I like to torture myself with the feelings.


End file.
